Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is upon us. The holiday is celebrated by Hindus around the world, and there's a lot happening in the UAE, from concerts to fireworks, here's your guide...
Diwali events
Bollywood Parks Dubai
Head to the theme park and enjoy the joyous festival with live performances by Bollywood singers Shankar Ehsaan Loy on November 9 and Neeraj Shridhar on the 10th. There will also be Bollywood film screenings (Veere Di Wedding on the 9th and Bareilly Ki Barfi on the 10th) at the Rajmahal Theatre. Guests can also enjoy park rides as well as Indian street food and entertainment acts. Even better, the first 100 visitors will get free entry into the park.
Tickets start at Dh99
Floating art installation at The Dubai Mall
Head out to the waterfront promenade and experience the floating art installation Voyage. The 300 illuminated boats create a mix of lights and use water as a canvas for the ever-changing coloured lighting effects. Guests can also connect to the installation's VoyageWi-Fi and interact within the installation by changing the patterns and colours themselves. The installation runs until December 2.
Diwali Market at Al Seef
Head to the Diwali Mela fair, running until November 10, the market will have a Diwali-themed bazaar with cultural performances, and food and decorative items on sale.
Fireworks
Fireworks at Dubai Creek
Celebrate the festival of lights with fireworks over the Dubai Creek. Head to Marsa Al Seef in Dubai on November 8 at 8pm to catch the light show.
Food
Diwali menu by Chef Altamash Iqbal at Ritz-Carlton, DIFC
The hotel welcomes Chef Altamash Iqbal to oversee their popular restaurant Cara. The chef has put together a special Diwali menu featuring meals such as Murgh Dum Biryani or a vegetarian Palak ki Shammi dish. Packages start at Dh295. For more information, call +971 4 372 2628 or email events.dubaiifc@ritzcarlton.com
Diwali delicacies at Moombai & Co
Moombai & Co located in H Dubai will celebrate with a special Diwali menu. It will feature items such as Mathri, Chivda and Naan Khatai and starters including Kabuli Channe Ki Tikki and Kadak Seekh Kebab, and for the occasion it will also sell Barfi - a treat that's made of almond powder, rose petals, pistachios and white chocolate - from Nov 5 until 10. The three course menu is priced at Dh220 per person.
Diwali discounts
Talabat discount for Diwali
The food delivery service will be offering discounts of up to 50 per cent off in honour of India Week. Running from November 7 until 14, customers can enjoy discounts from a number of restaurants including: India Palace Restaurant, The Yellow Chili, and Sagar Ratna. To see the list, visit the Talabat website or app.
Gifts
Diwali sweet treats
Celebrate with Swiss heritage chocolatier Confiserie Sprungli’s Diwali Gift Collection. Choose from four different gift sets: Amnol Dibba (which comes with nine truffles and pralines), Sundar Dibba (filled with handcrafted pralines and truffles), the Classic Cube (also with nine pralines and truffles), and the Surprise Bonbonniere (a double-tray gift box filled with a wide variety of 50 hand-crafted chocolates, pralines, and truffles). Boxes range from Dh110 to Dh650.
Diwali with Bateel
Bateel also has come up with a collection of special gift boxes for the holiday. Fill up the box with organic dates, chocolates or home-made biscuits. The three designs offered are marigold, purple marigold and ayra, with prices from Dh155 to Dh165.
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